In this hardbound edition of the 12th adventure in the new series, Tom Swift decides his 4-year-old space station, the Outpost in Space, is now too small. When you outgrow something you make it larger or you replace it. Tom's plan is not just ambitious, it is almost impossible. He want to build a giant space station capable of rotating to provide its 1,000 or more inhabitants with near Earth-like gravity and incredible surroundings. Two problems are in his way: money and getting all the materials up there. When even his own government appears to condemn his efforts Tom must turn to an alternate source for his building materials-mining what he needs from asteroids. But he needs a way to transport raw materials to Earth and finished goods into orbit. The solution has never been tried except in science fiction. He decides to build a space elevator. But with so many challenges and even the United Nations looking like they want to take over the new station, he finds that he is just about on his own.